<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Interesting by LizLuvsCupcakes</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23490193">Interesting</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizLuvsCupcakes/pseuds/LizLuvsCupcakes'>LizLuvsCupcakes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Patton is a dad, Platonic Morality | Patton Sanders &amp; Dark Creativity | Remus “The Duke” Sanders, Platonic Relationships, Remus is a misunderstood boi, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders, Triggers, patton hurts Remus without meaning to</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:15:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,608</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23490193</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizLuvsCupcakes/pseuds/LizLuvsCupcakes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus hates that word</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders &amp; Morality | Patton Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>110</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Interesting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspired by this glorious headcanon by @devil-towne on Tumblr</p><p>https://devil-towne.tumblr.com/post/190649478160/yooo-i-just-had-an-angsty-remus-idea-remus-hates</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Remus?”</p><p> </p><p>Remus ignored the knock at his door, and the tentative call of his name. Patton was trying to apologize. He wasn’t having it.</p><p> </p><p>Interesting. <em> Interesting </em> . It was a fine word when he shouted out an idea or started eating dead pigeons, hell, it was even expected at this point. But this was supposed to be <em> different </em> . This was supposed to <em> mean </em> something.</p><p> </p><p>Hours of searching the imagination for the perfect idea for a Father’s Day gift, weeks of trying to get the damn drawing just right, ripping up page after page and considering giving up more than once, getting it just perfect, then handing it to Patton in front of everyone, after he’d gushed about how much he adored everyone else’s gifts, and what had that hypocritical ass said?!</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>“Aw, kiddo, that’s so... interesting!”</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>No. He didn’t get to apologize after that vile affront to his dignity. And he certainly didn’t really want to apologize after... after the things Remus had screamed before vanishing to his room.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m gonna come in now, okay kiddo?” There was a jiggle at his knob, and Remus felt a sting of satisfaction that he’d thought to lock the door before kicking it. But this flutter of happiness was immediately crushed by a soft metal poking and scraping, followed by an unlocking sound followed by the opening of his door.</p><p> </p><p>Remus didn’t move. He didn’t look up or emerge from hugging his pillow as the door closed and feet padded over, Patton’s butt squeaking his bed a bit as he sat.</p><p> </p><p>Well, he supposed Patton would want to chew Remus out for ruining the day. His <em> special </em> day.</p><p> </p><p>“Can you look at me a second, booger?” He asked gently, making no effort to touch him. Remus shook his head into the pillow. “Okay, that’s okay. Can you tell me what’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>After a few moments, a muffled “nothing” was grumbled through Remus’s pillow.</p><p> </p><p>“That was a big yell for nothing,” Patton crooned in his awful, condescending tone that sounded like he was concerned and upset. “Please, Remus, I just wanna know what happened.”</p><p> </p><p>Remus turned his head only slightly. Away from the source of the kind, patient sounding words. “Nothing happened. Go away,” he demanded as threateningly as he could with his lungs shaking and his eyes threatening to send up more tears.</p><p> </p><p>Patton was quiet a minute. Something touched his back and Remus thought it might be a spider. Then he knew it was Patton’s hand, just sitting on his back. How dare it. He should cut it off at the wrist- and then he heard a crinkle.</p><p> </p><p>He risked turning to look. Patton was holding it, gazing quizzically at it. There, on the page, was a picture of Patton in his dad-garb, looking heroic and epic, wielding a massive sword upon which the word ‘kindness’ was etched. He was using it to decapitate a giant yellow snake in a black suit jacket with a black hat, its head flying across the page and looking baffled.</p><p> </p><p>“Was it something about your picture?” He was asking, not noticing Remus had looked yet. “I meant it, you know- this is some pretty neat-o work. I mean-“</p><p> </p><p>“I <em> know </em> what you mean.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hm?” He turned, but Remus was crestfallen again. He couldn’t look up. Not now. Not with his face all red and puffy and eyeshadow-smeared from crying.</p><p> </p><p>“I <em> know </em> what you <b>mean</b> . It’s ‘interesting’, sure, but everything Roman gives you is fantastic, wonderful, beautiful, gorgeous, <b>perfect-</b> ” the last word came out as a sort of spit. “And you have to ignore-but-not-ignore everything <b> <em>I</em> </b> do, and it’s all just <b> <em>interesting</em> </b>, and it’s never gonna be as good as Roman, is it, it’s never gonna be pretty or lovely or thoughtful or, or good, and you hate all of it, and you hate me, and you have to pretend you don’t so I’ll go away, and... and...”</p><p> </p><p>He trailed off, his thoughts jumbling together and making him out of breath. There was silence after this little ramble, silence so thick and tense he had to look up.</p><p> </p><p>Patton looked heartbroken. Distraught. Crushed. But it wasn’t funny. Remus didn’t wanna burst out laughing at the look on Patton’s face. He felt awful he’d put it there.</p><p> </p><p>“Remus,” he breathed, “oh sweetheart, I don’t <em> hate </em> you.”</p><p> </p><p>Gently, he eased Remus out of lying on his tummy and into sitting, propped against his headboard. A pack of makeup wipes and a wet cloth appeared, and Patton set the drawing safely aside as he set about wiping off the dukes face.</p><p> </p><p>“Duke of Nuts, I could <em> never </em> in a million <em> years </em> hate you. Sure I don’t always like your ideas but no matter what, you’re always gonna be my kiddo.” He took the opportunity to lean forward and kiss Remus on his freshly clean face. “I’m sorry, Remus. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just don’t know a lot of big words.”</p><p> </p><p>“B-but... the picture... it’s all bloody, I shoulda known you’d hate-”</p><p> </p><p>“Hush. Shush now. None of that.” Gentle hands cupped his face and caressed his cheeks. “Can I just say my piece before you start making excuses for why I can’t like it?”</p><p> </p><p>Patton waited until Remus nodded, then handed him the wet cloth (he made use of it as a tissue), wiped off his hands on his pants and picked up the drawing again. Gingerly, as if afraid he might wreck it if he mishandled it. </p><p> </p><p>He held the drawing for a while, just staring at it and smiling as if he couldn’t believe anything this wonderful really existed. “Where do I even start? I love the colours. And the design of everything. And look at me with the mighty sword Kindness, don’t think I missed the dad joke! The cross section on the snake, and the scales, the detailing and all this shading must have taken forever. The background is really intricate. Kiddo, you must’ve put so much time and thought into this present, I’m so sorry you thought I didn’t love it.”</p><p> </p><p>Remus blinked. No, no, this wasn’t right, Patton wasn’t supposed to like his stuff…</p><p> </p><p>“B-but… it’s <em> interesting… </em>” he was starting to think that might not be the end of the world anymore. </p><p> </p><p>“You bet your bottom it is, there’s so much detail here, and not a <em> bit </em> of it is boring, I could look at it for <em> hours </em>. And don’t think I didn’t see this,” he added, pointing to one spot in particular. </p><p> </p><p>Remus didn’t need to look. He knew exactly what Patton meant.</p><p> </p><p>Behind the hero dad was a little boy, dressed exactly like Remus, looking up to his rescuer with all the stars in his eyes as he defended him from the snake. There was no way any monster Remus had depicted could get to the child, not with his dad in the way. </p><p> </p><p>Patton finally set the drawing aside, drawing Remus close so their foreheads touched. “I’m sorry, kiddo. I didn’t know that word upset you. I’ll use others from now on, I promise. Your present was so thoughtful.” He kissed Remus gently on the hair, causing him to flinch. “It’s unique.” Another kiss. “It’s full of hard work and effort.” Another kiss. “It’s entrancing, fascinating, morbid, and I love it so much.” Three kisses. He didn’t draw away from any but the first. </p><p> </p><p>Each kiss stole a bit more of his resolve until the duke was biting his cheek hard to keep from whining. Finally, Patton’s assault on his emotions  stopped. He held Remus at arms length by the shoulders, and said, “but I don’t love it as much as I love you, kiddo.” He drew Remus into a warm, tight hug that rocked gently back and forth as Patton ran fingers through messy, unkempt hair. “Remus, I love you forever and ever my little opossum,” he murmured. </p><p> </p><p>That did it. Remus returned the hug with desperate strength as the sobbing and tears returned anew. Patton shushed him gently but didn’t ask him to stop, stroking and hugging and kissing and whispering sweet nothings that Remus accepted as he allowed sobs to ring through his body. </p><p> </p><p>Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he cried himself out. Crying was a lot like throwing up, he reflected, it felt horrible when you needed to barf, then the barfing itself felt terrible, but once whatever you had eaten wrong had come back up, out of you, no longer lingering and festering… you felt better. And yet, his head still hurt, his throat was sore, his eyes were all itchy and his makeup was gone. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you feel better?” Patton asked gently, sitting back and wiping his face again. </p><p> </p><p>“I’unno,” the duke admitted honestly. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s okay, honey bear. Thank you for telling me the problem. I’ll do better by you. I promise.”</p><p> </p><p>“Patton? I’m… in sorry about yelling… when I said, that stuff-“</p><p> </p><p>“Shhhh, that’s forgotten. Everyone’s worried but no one’s mad. I promise.”</p><p> </p><p>“You too?”</p><p> </p><p>“Me too.”</p><p> </p><p>Remus thought about that. They sat in silence for a few moments, just listening to the ambience of the room until it was interrupted by knocking. </p><p> </p><p>“Patton? Remus?” Called Logan’s voice patiently. “The surprise is ready. Please return to the commons.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be right there!” Called Patton. Then to Remus, “wanna come? There’s chocolate chip banana cake.”</p><p> </p><p>“I thought that was a surprise.”</p><p> </p><p>“It is. They don’t know I know. Don’t tell anyone, they had so much fun working together.”</p><p> </p><p>They shared a conspiratorial smile, and with that, Remus and his dad went back downstairs, where Patton pinned his very, very interesting present up in the most coveted of spots- on the refrigerator.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There isn’t nearly enough of Patton snuggling Remus on this site. I’m gonna fix that.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>